Rep. Weiner challenges the GOP on health care

[apocalypsos]

... DO ME.

Seriously, if I see one more reference to someone being all, "I don't want any socialized health care, but for God's sake, don't take away my Medicare!" I'm going to throw down.

Comments

[trishalynn.livejournal.com]

That's my uncle's point of view, and in a way I can understand it. I wouldn't want some federal agency telling me how I have to live my life or penalizing me because I'm not living my life in an acceptable way.

The part I don't understand is how the segment of people who consider themselves to be righteous people can't imagine how helping someone you don't know, will never meet, or may not even want to know to get a job, stay fed, get some education, pay bills they can't pay due to unexpected circumstances, etc. in order to have one more day of relative happiness... how can those people reconcile the two beliefs?

[stele3.insanejournal.com (from livejournal.com)]

Here's the trouble I have with nationalized health care: I don't want to pay for someone else's shitty life decisions. I'd be happy to pay for someone else to get a good education -- and would FAR prefer to see a nationalized college fund -- or to get better job training.

BUT...I'm 25 years old. I don't smoke, I drink moderately. I exercise regularly. I eat right. I don't do drugs. And I don't understand why I should have to pay for the health care of an obese alcoholic smoker who eats nothing but cheeseburgers and sits on his ass in front of the TV. In America, ONE-THIRD of the population is obese. That's higher than anywhere else in the world. It already costs $117 billion to treat people for diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and the legion of other shit that obesity leads to, and it's one of the single most goddamned preventable condition on the planet. We're just lazy, that's all.

I would be 100% in support of creating nationalized healthcare for individuals under 18. After that, I feel like people have to be responsible for their own life choices and their own shitty health. I get what you're saying, about helping your fellow man -- but there's a thin line between helping someone else and being taken advantage of, imo, and if there's anywhere in the world where people would take advantage of the system, it'd be America..

[chaneen.livejournal.com]

The problem with that is that not everyone can actually get private health care, due to pre-existing conditions. I am very healthy (basically just asthma and allergies now), but for some reason I can't get insurance without it being provided by an employer, due to a pre-existing condition (something to do with the back surgery I had a few years ago that fixed my herniated discs, that I don't have to take any medication for anymore. I'm not 100% sure). My mother would never be able to get private insurance, since she has an incredibly rare lung disease, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. So, not everyone that needs health insurance can just get it easily (or at all). If it were possible, then that would be a different story.

I don't think this bill is the best way for the government to go about providing healthcare to everyone (especially if you are fined for not having it, wtf), but in general it's a good idea. It's really refreshing to hear a politician actually do more than dismiss it outright.

[karikinetic.livejournal.com]

So, wait a second, your argument against nationalized health care is the health-equivalent of "welfare queens"? Really?

"Income Stable, Poverty Up, Numbers of Americans With and Without
Health Insurance Rise, Census Bureau Reports"
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/002484.html

"Poverty Drains Nutrition From Family Diet"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/21/AR2008022101091.html

"Poverty and Poor Health are Intertwined"
http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/08/29/poverty.health/index.html

"An Overview on Health Insurance Costs in America"
http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml

Oh, and by the way? Congratulations. You're ALREADY paying for that uninsured "obese alcoholic smoker who eats nothing but cheeseburgers and sits on his ass in front of the TV" because when he goes to the ER, you end up paying for his care in rising costs.

Information. It's a beautiful thing.